Rotary sewer cleaner



Aug. 2, 1927.

T. PELTOLA ROTARY SEWER CLEANER Filed Aug. '7, 1922 Patented Aug. 2,71-9127.` y i i ..1 i UNITED STATE-s PATENTgoFFicE.

ROTARY SEWER CLEANER.

Application inea August 7, 1922. serial Nq.",5so,os'4.v'

The purpose of this invention is to proand 5, the former being Vmade with serrated vide an improved machine for cleaning outl or ksaw-tooth edges as seen in Figures Q and large pipes or conduits such as sewer pipes. 4, and the latterrhavingsmooth knife edges. when they become blocked or their walls` tmay be understoodft-hat the ldimensions 60 become more or less iin-crusted with solid ofthe `wheel l and archedblades 4 and 5 matter. lt consists .in certain features and will besuch that the apparatus may fit elements of construction and their combiclosely, but not too snugly within a Sewer nation as hereinafter described and shown pip-e of standard size, and where several in the drawings and as indicated lby the sizes of pipe are employed, a plurality of 55 t" claims. cleaners of different kdin'iensions may be pro;

In the drawings: vided, onel for each sizeof pipe. In op- Figure l is a top plan View of a vmachine eration, the device is carried down vin a embodying` tais invention. Y manhole vand introduced with the rotor, or

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same. wheel end forward, into the pipe to be 70 l5 Figure 3 is an axial section ofthe rotor cleaned; For supporting itupon' the lower C and its bearings, with the cutting blades side of the pipe, there are provided small removed. wheels or rollers 6 at the forward end of Figure 4 is a fragmental side elevation the nozzle casting '3, and slightly larger showing the mode of attachment of the cutwheels 8 at the rear end of said casting, 75 3i ting blades to the rotor hubs. journaled on studs yor bolts 9,k as seen in Figure 5 is a detail section taken as indi- Figures l and2. The rear end of the nozcated at line --5 on Figure 4. .zle 8 is threaded at 13 for attachment kof Figure 6 is a detail view partly in section, the water supply hose, and the hose itself of an adjusting device for the supporting may serve for steering and `advancing the 80 wheels. machine intov the pipe at the start. How- Figure 7 is a transverse Section of the ever, when once fairly entered, the machine nozzle casting taken asL indicated at line will tend to propel itselfjby frictional enk7 7 on Figure-1. gagement of the cutting blades and rotor Figure 8 is a detail section of one of the wheel l with the bottom of the conduit; to 85 y 30 cutting blades taken as indicated at line insure such engagement, the forward carry# 8-8 on Figure 4. l ing wheels orrollers 6 vareprovided with a Figure 9 4is a transverse section taken as limited vertical adjustment hereinafter more indicated at lin-e 9-9 on Figure 1. fully described. l

As shown Vin the drawings, thisV machine The periphery of the wheel l is formed 9@ 25 comprises a metallic nozzle adapted to be with av seri-es of shallow pockets, each ter` attached at the end 0f a hOSe providing' a minating at one end in a, transverse, Wal] supply of water under pressure, and a rotor or abutment 1.0, which receives the impact in the nature of a. turbine wheel positioned o-f the water Howing from nozzle 3 and at the discharge port ofthe nozzle to be thus causes the wheel to be rotated. The 95 rotated by the flow of water therefrom'. cutting blades 4 and 5 are each firmly se- The wheel or rotor carries a number 0f cured to the peripheral portion of the wheel arched blades whose path of rotation on by screws l1, Vand the forward ends of the, the wheel is substantially spherical, so that yoke members 2 are sharpened at 12 so that the bladestrav-el tangent or nearly tangent they shall notoppose `the advance of the 10o to the walls of the pipe or conduit, and machine, but shall rather assistin the re-y opcrate to cut away material incrusted theremoval of the incrustation on the walls of on, while the water discharge from the turthe pipes. The forward end of the nozzle bin-e wheel serves to flush out this material Casting 3 is formed with an overhanging rib and clear the pipe. in .the drawings, the portion 17 shrouding the rear side of the 105 50 wheel or rotor is shown at l, mounted in wheel l above the level of its aXis ofv rotasupporting bracket arms 2. which extend tion. and discharge port 18 of the nozzle is forwardly at both sidesof the nozzlemcastlocated opposite this portion of the wheel, so ing` 3, thus forming a yoke in which the as to cause rotation of the upper side of wlieel revolves. Arched away from the aXis the wheel forwardly, and thus incidentally 11o of the wheel l, but secured to its periphery tend to feed the entire machine forwardly and to its hubs, are the cutting blades 4 in the pipe.

vie

simple and exteriorly smooth construction;r

it may be understood that after assembly of `the wheel with its axle and supportingv bracket arms 2, `said arms y are mounted against the sides of the nozzle casting 3, and

are Yfastened in place thereon by` suitable bolts or screws 7.

As indicated in Figure 7, it is found preterable to overbalance the nozzle casting 3,

making it heavier at the lower side and of thinner cross section at the upperfside, so that the additional weight below the axis ofthe nozzle may assist in keeping the tool upright in the conduit, thus insuring that` its weight shall be always supported on its wheels 6 and 8.

It will be evident that ai'ter exerting its force upon the abutment surfaces 10 oia the 4wheel 1, the water discharged through the port 18 ot the nozzle will be released at the :forward sideot the wheel, where it may serve for softening and loosening the incrusting materiahand also for flushing away the solid matter as it is eut ollby the blades d and 5. there the pipe-is wholly choked by a plug, the flushing water may llow back past the nozzle 3 and connected hose, these parts being` ot considerably less cross section than the pipe itself; but where the in crustation is limited tothe walls of the pipe,

the llushing water may iiow forwardly ahead of` the machine, unless it happens that the pipe inclines in the opposite direction.

For adjusting the wheel 1 with respect to the pipe or conduitto insure traction, I prefer to mount the carrying wheels or rollers 6 upon oblique axes, as shown in Figure 9,

supporting them on swinging members pivotally attached Vto the nozzle casting` 3 at 15b. The lowerends of the members 15y engage trunnions of cross member 1 5, which is threaded to receive the threaded end 14h of the adjusting rod 141, shown in Figures 4 and 6. The rod Mis formed with ilanges or shoulders 14a, restricting it against longitudinal movement in a stirrup 16 at the `rear end of the nozzle casting 3. The end Preferably said of the rod 1-1 is bent into an eye to provide a handle i'oi' rotatively adjusting it so as to swing themembers 15a backwards and forwards for altering the Vertical position of the rollers G.

It may be understood thatat any stage in the operation the entire machine may be withdrawn from the pipe or tlue simply by pulling back the hoseattached to the thread-` edpart 13.

I claim: Y 1.1n a machine tor cleaning the inner surface of a pipe or conduit, a fluid supply pipe a wheel or rotor attached thereto and mounted ttor' rotation about an axis substantially perpendicular to that of the conduit, said fluid supply pipe being arranged to extend longitudinally `of the'conduit with a nozzle Ylio-r discharging tluid from said pipe against the periphery of the wheel tor driving it, said wheel being formed with laterally vextending hubs and one or more scraper blades arched over the wheel with both ends oi: each blade secured to said hubs. 2. ln the combination delined in claim 1, said arched blades being curved in planes transverse to the plane of the wheel and being connected to bedriven by the wheel so as to desiribe a substantially spherical path as they revolve.

` 5.. In a machine for cleaning the inner surface of the pipe or conduit, a luidsupply pipe a wheel or rotor attached thereto and mounted for rotation about au axis substantially perpendicular to that of the conduit,

`said lluid supply pipe being arranged to eX- tend longitudinally of the conduit with a nozzle for discharging Huid `from said pipe against the periphery o'liv the wheel in sub stantially tangential relation, said wheel -being uncovered at the side opposite the Vnozzlefor releasing said tluidinto the conduit,

the wheel being formed `with laterally eX- tending hubs and one or more scraperablades i arched over the wheel `with both ends of each blade secured to said hubs. i In testimony whereof, I- have hereunto setmy hand at Marquette, Michigan, this L 31st day of July, 1922. y

TOIVO PELTOLA. 

